Anthony Hopkins Boards Gotti

Following director Joe Johnston’s recent attachment to the mobster biopic Gotti comes word, via Variety, that Anthony Hopkins will be joining John Travolta and Kelly Preston in the cast.

The film, which adapts Gotti’s life from the point of view of his son, was previously set to star, in addition to Travolta and Preston, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Lindsay Lohan, Ben Foster and Chazz Palminteri. Barry Levinson was previously attached to helm that earlier iteration of the project, which was to have been titled Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father.

The rights to the story, which, in reality ended with the death of Gotti in prison in 2002, are held by Marc Fiore and his Fiore Films where actor Leo Rossi supplied the original screenplay.

Hopkins, who recently played the title role in the biopic Hitchcock, can next be seen in two comic book adaptations. He joins the ensemble cast of RED 2 in the July 19 release and reprises his role as Odin in Marvel Studios’ Thor: The Dark World, which hits theaters November 8.